Advanced Projects Research, Inc. (APRI) has developed an innovative, high-efficiency, compact combustor for lean-premixed, low-emissions gas turbine systems that responds directly to NASA's request for "Innovative technologies relating to combustion processes, including fuel injectors, piloting, flameholding techniques for increased performance and decreased emissions" under SBIR topic A8.02. The concept is based on previously demonstrated means for creating high mixing rate regions using multiple discrete axial vortices in the flow. This injector-mixer-flameholder shows promise for emissions reduction by ensuring rapid and complete well controlled mixing. Another goal is an axial-vorticity fuel injection, mixing, and flame stabilization design that passively controls combustion instability and flashback by making the combustion region insensitive to axial flow oscillations. During previous work APRI has demonstrated the ability to stabilize flames in a geometry designed to provide open three-dimensional separations. APRI has demonstrated controlled mixing rates in geometries directly suitable to gas turbine combustors.

The axial-vorticity fuel-injector/flame-holder system is applicable to a wide variety of combustion systems. Aircraft gas turbines, industrial gas turbines, gaseous waste incinerators, and other industrial burners can benefit from the high mixing rate and flame stability characteristics of this design.

Inquiries concerning APRI's Swirl Burner program should be directed to Dr. Thomas Sobota at Thomas.Sobota@apri.com